Hemp flag from Colorado to fly over US Capitol

By: The Associated Press

July 4, 2013Updated: July 4, 2013 at 7:42 am

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In this undated image from C-SPAN provided by Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., Polis holds an American flag made of hemp on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington. The flag is scheduled to be flown over the Capitol on July, 4, 2013. Polis has long pushed for the plant to be legal for farmers to grow. Industrial hemp looks much like marijuana but does not have its psychoactive properties. Federal law prohibits growing hemp, but not importing it. (AP Photo/C-SPAN via Rep. Jared Polis via CSPAN)

DENVER — An American flag made of hemp is flying over the U.S. Capitol on Independence Day, and the flag belongs to a Colorado man who supports the crop.

Democratic Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado brought the Colorado's flag made of hemp to a recent farm bill debate. The flag will be flown over the Capitol on July 4, then returned to the man.

Industrial hemp looks much like marijuana but does not have its psychoactive properties. Federal law prohibits growing hemp, but not importing it.

Historians say the first American flags were made of hemp, which was raised by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.